India has raised basic customs duty on several telecom equipment and imposed duties on printed circuit boards used to make these as the country looks to curb non-essential imports to address its current account deficit as also boost ‘Make in India’.

A host of telecom products that enjoyed zero duty would face a customs duty of 10%.

India imported about $21 billion worth of telecom equipment in FY18, up from $16.2 billion in FY17. The duty changes would come into effect from October 12, according to a notification issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs late Thursday.

These measures come close on the heels of increase in import duty on a number of consumer goods including air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, footwear, jewellery, furniture fittings and tableware besides imposition of duty aviation turbine fuel.

New Delhi’s current account deficit deteriorated to 1.9% of GDP in FY18 from 0.6% in the year before and is forecast to rise to around 2.8% in the current year.

The trade deficit expanded to $80.4 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year from $67.3 billion in the year-ago period. A top executive of a local telecom gear maker welcomed the doubling of import duties on telecom equipment to 20%, saying it “would compel telcos to procure critical network gear locally and reduce the sector’s import dependence at a time when the rupee has hit all time lows.’’